The Neotrix
by Nashi
Summary: My first attempt at a Matrix Fanfic. A young girl is unplugged by her parents wishes. Please read and review


The Neotrix- Chapter 1: the great awakening.  
  
Notes: A Pre-Matrix story of my original characters and the Neb crew well before the events of the Matrix. Nashi, and Shadow are mine! This Shadow has nothing to do with the Shadow in the new matrix movie or the game. Another note, as soon as I get passed the basic formalities of getting Nashi unplugged, the story will differ a lot more from the movie. Thanks to PPL () for the suggestions and notes, I didn't realize my mistakes ~_~.  
My Name? Funny you should ask.nobody really asks that question anymore.and even when they do, I have trouble answering it. You see.there are just some questions that I can't answer anymore. I guess your wondering, "why?" Well, I've been asking that question for a long time now.  
  
For now, you can call me Nashi.  
  
I guess I should start out at the beginning. All of this started around 7 years ago, when I was 11. I was big into computers back then.somewhat of a prodigy. My mother and father always encouraged me when it came to computers. My dad being a programmer and all.I guess you could say that it ran in my blood. My mother was more of organic, or, what my and my dad called anyone who wasn't in touch with machines. She would rather be out in the sun, working in her garden than being in the glow of a computer screen.  
  
My desktop was my world. Inside the Internet, I could be anyone I wanted. I could be 11, 16, or 30. I could be blond, thin, fat, short.anything my heart desired. Maybe that's what started my search.maybe it was this ability that made me realize that there was something missing.something that wasn't quite right with my world. Sure, my family loved me and all.but I always felt out of place. Like, everything around me wasn't really there. Almost like I was always dreaming. I lived like this until I was 14. That's when I started looking for where I belonged. I discovered The Matrix.  
  
By the time I had heard of it, it had already become an Internet phenomenon. Rumors of The Matrix swam in underground IRC chat rooms, BBC boards, newsgroups.almost everywhere a good hacker knew where to look. By this time, I was pretty well known among the hacker community. My name was Nashi1499, 14 for my age, and 99 for the number of seconds it took me to crack into my mothers security code the first time.  
  
Hey, she shouldn't have taken away my computer.  
  
I logged onto my computer like I always did. I booted up my locked drive and the low hum of the hard drive welcomed me, as it always had. Just as I began to log on, my screen went blank. "Oh no! If my system crashes again.daddy's gonna kill me!" I said, not knowing weather it was the new MP3 program I had made causing a problem, or if one of the small viruses I had made, doing what they where supposed to do. But before I could even think about it, what looked like green DOS code came up on my screen.  
  
Nashi1499.I've been looking for you  
  
After all I had been reading in the past few days, I couldn't help but wonder.  
  
Nashi.I know your there.  
  
I quickly typed in my reply.  
  
Who are you? What do you want? I'm here to give you the answers you're looking for.  
  
The Matrix? It couldn't be.it just couldn't be  
  
Ok.whatever, but if you're real, then answer me this.what is my real name? Only someone who knew me personally outside of the Internet would know this. I left no traces of my real self online for several reasons.my age, and what I was looking for.  
  
Marie Cruz, Age: 14. A very gifted young hacker. Lives with her mother and father in New York.  
  
I couldn't hide my shock. My eyes widened and my hands began to twitch over the keyboard.  
  
It's ok.I'm not here to hurt you.just to give you the answers you seek. If you want them, come to the Internet café by your house at 3pm.you know the one I'm talking about.  
  
And with that, the screen flickered and the computer booted into its regular mode. I stared at the screen in shock. This was it.this is what I had been looking for. I had prepared for this for the longest.but I wasn't ready for what was going to happen next.  
  
"Hey Mommy! I'm gonna go to the Internet café for a few ok? Jen and Nezu are gonna meet me!" I yelled to my mom from my room. I grabbed my black jacket and laced up my black shoes. My flare jeans hung low at my waist and my blue shirt hung loose. I quickly brushed my long curly hair out of my face and put on my favorite black sunglasses. My mother came into my room and looked at me. She handed me a $5 bill. "You're going to need this," she said, smiling. "And tell Nezu to tell her mother hi for me ok sweetie?" She kissed the top of my head and pushed me out the door. She was just happy to see that I was willing to go outside for a change.  
  
I hated lying to my mother.I had just gotten her trust back after the last stunt that I pulled.I had skipped school for 3 months.they later found out that I had panic disorder, and that the reason why I was doing it was because I was afraid.but that didn't make it any less of a big thing. She didn't trust me for a very long time, and she had my aunt, or another family member walk me to school. My heart sank as I walked to the elevator, but deep down I knew that I had to do this.  
  
I walked into the Internet Café, called Web On The Water, by my house. It was a small place, kind of dark and dingy.and always smelled like M&M's. I smiled at the lady behind the counter and left my $5 on the table. Before I could walk to my usual seat, she handed it back to me. "Those two over there said you'd be here, so they paid for you already." She pointed to my usual spot in the back, and sure enough, there they where, a boy about my age and a woman. They where both dressed in black and wore sunglasses. The boy lowered his glasses and looked at me. The woman beckoned me with her finger, and I almost ran to the back.  
  
"Nashi, I presume" the woman said. Her voice was smooth, almost like mercury. I gulped and nodded. A razor thin smile came to her lips. "Don't be afraid. We're not here to hurt you. My name is Trinity. The little one here is Shadow." I looked over at the boy whom she had called Shadow and smiled. He took off his glasses and looked me in the eyes. He had the prettiest brown eyes I had ever seen. "You have pretty eyes." He said. I couldn't help but blush. Trinity must have noticed this, because she asked if I was ok. When I blushed, I looked almost like a tomato. "Yeah.just a little.scared." I sat down and looked at them. They both took seats across from me.  
  
".Wait a minute.you said your name was Trinity?" I asked, suddenly realizing who I was talking to.  
  
"Yes."  
  
My jaw nearly fell to the floor. "The Trinity? The most famous hacker of the former Royal Order of The Inter-Knights?" I nearly screamed. I didn't realize this person was a woman. But then again, with the Internet, you never know.  
  
"That was a long time ago." She tried to brush it off. "I was a kid back then."  
  
I couldn't help it; I wanted to shake her hand. "You're the one that inspired me to become a hacker! I can't believe it!"  
  
"I thought you wanted answers." Shadow quickly said, his brown eyes still staring at me from under his sunglasses. I looked at him, and not wanting to look like a total geek in front of him for some reason, I shut up. "I do.I'm sorry, its just that.never mind.you'd never understand" I looked at my hands. "The problem is I do." He said, sounding sad.  
  
"Nashi, you wanted to know about it.about the Matrix. Actually, I'm only here to offer you something. If you really want to know, I am not the person to tell you. There is a man.his name is Morpheous. You could call him my boss. He's the one that really wants to talk to you. But you have a big dissension to make. If you really want to know, and if you really are willing to go through with all I know you want to do, you have to be willing to give this up." She looked at me, wondering if I was listening. I hadn't stopped looking at my hands.  
  
"This?" I asked. I began biting one of my nails.  
  
"Everything." Shadow said. "Your mom, your dad, even your friends.you have to give it all up if you really want this."  
  
"My mom and dad? Why?" I looked up, suddenly concerned.  
  
"Because of what the Matrix is. I cant tell you anything else now.if you are willing to go through with this, then call this number within 2 days, if not, then this is it." Trinity handed me a piece of folded paper. "If you decide to call, then I'll come and pick you up that night, ok?" And with that, they stood up. To drop this kind of thing into the lap of a 14- year-old girl must not have been easy for her. She put back on her sunglasses and began to walk off. Shadow didn't move though.  
  
"I did it.and I'll be there ok?" Is all he said. I think that was supposed to make me feel better, but it really didn't.  
  
I went back home and I stood in the doorway for a minuet. I watched my mom in the kitchen of our apartment, cooking dinner. My dad was at the table, typing furiously at his laptop. "Hey honey!" He said, not looking away from his screen. He had a 6th sense about me. He always knew when I was around. I walked in and shut the front door behind me.  
  
"Hey daddy." I said. I couldn't hide the sadness in my voice. I heard him stop typing and he looked to me over the screen. "Something wrong?" He asked. I nodded. If I could talk to anyone, I knew it was my daddy. He walked over and we went into the living room. He sat on one of futons in the room and I sat on my beanbag chair.  
  
"Daddy.there is something I have to do.but." I couldn't speak. I looked at him and I saw a look of sadness come over his face.  
  
"The Matrix" was all he said.  
  
My eyes widened. "Daddy?"  
  
He smiled. "I know all about it sweetie. I'm a hacker too. I've been looking for a long time, but I'm already too old."  
  
"Too old? Daddy! How do you know I was looking for this?"  
  
He winked. "What kind of Daddy would I be if I didn't keep track of my kid's Internet doings? Your mother and I know everything that you do. Who do you think let you find the stuff on the matrix?" He said.  
  
"You did it daddy?"  
  
"Not just me.you did most of the work.all I did was open the door."  
  
"So then you know who I went to go see today?" I asked.  
  
He nodded. "Yes. Trinity is an old friend of mine.The Royal Order of the Inter-Knights." He said proudly. "I was a member, back in my day.but that's besides the point. Your mother and I know what's going on, and It's ok.this is your choice.but you have to know, that once you go, you cant come back.its not that we don't want you to! Don't ever think for a minuet that we don't want you to come back if you go.the thing is Marie, you cant. Now neither of us want you to go.but we cant stop you." I got up and ran to my dad. I hugged him like I never had before.  
  
"Daddy.I'm sorry.but.if you know all this.then you know that I have to go." I looked at my dad and noticed a small tear forming in his right eye.  
  
He nodded. "I know.I wanted to also when I found out.but they said I was too old to do it.I don't know what mind you.but your mother and I are too old.so you go.go and find what we couldn't."  
  
That night, after dinner, I spoke with both of them.we decided that I would call Trinity that evening, but only after I read a book with them. It was our way of saying goodbye.  
  
The next evening, I stood with my parents in the lobby of my building. My mom and dad made me pack a huge bag with everything I could possibly need. Neither of them knew where I was going, and neither did I. A black car pulled up and they walked me out. Trinity and Shadow stepped out. Shadow put my bag in the trunk as Trinity spoke to my parents. After a very teary goodbye.which I don't want to talk about right now, I got in the car and watched as the life I once knew faded into the distant night.  
  
We drove for what seemed like hours. I couldn't help but look out the window. I did all I could to keep from crying. The reality that I would never see my parents, house, bed, and everything else again was setting in hard. Shadow put a hand on my clenched fists and looked at me. His hand was warm in the cold, black car.  
  
"It's ok." was all he could say. I know he meant well, but to me, it felt like the world was ending. Before I knew it, the car had stopped. "We're here," Trinity said.  
  
We had stopped in front of an old building, somewhere in downtown Manhattan. I didn't know what time it was, or were we where. The three of us got into an elevator and Trinity pushed the button for the 16th floor. I began to get more and more afraid, so, out of shear instinct, I grabbed Shadow's hand. He nearly jumped when I did. He looked over at me and leaned over to my ear. His lips where almost on my ear when he whispered, "Its ok, I'm here.don't be afraid." Somehow, that did make me feel a little better.  
  
When we reached the floor, Trinity led the way to one of the apartments. I'll never forget.room 112.  
  
"Before I open the door, I want to say that what your doing is a very brave thing.your parents are very proud of you.and so am I." She said, patting me on the head. I looked up at her, a newly found feeling of purpose in my being. I nodded and looked to the door.  
  
"Lets go." I said. Shadow gripped my hand.it almost felt like he was the scared on this time. Trinity opened the door and we walked into a dingy Victorian style apartment. I saw a tall man standing at the window. For a moment, I almost thought it was my dad, but then I realized that he was way to tall. My dad was kind of short.  
  
The man standing at the window turned around. "Hello, Nashi.so you are the little one that we've been waiting for. I am Morpheous." He was nothing but a tall, very muscular version of my dad. I looked at him. He towered over my mere 4 foot 11. He must have seen some kind of fear in my eyes, because he bent down to my level. He looked at Shadow and Trinity and said "Please go to the other room, I have to talk to her for a moment." Without a word, Trinity walked out of the room. It wasn't until then that I had noticed that Shadow was still holding my hand. I let go and smiled at him. He nodded and walked to the same room Trinity had disappeared to.  
  
"I would fist like to say that it's ok for you to be a little scared.to be so young in this kind of situation must be hard. But Let me tell you, I promised your Mother and Father that I would look out for you, so that just goes to show that you don't have to worry too much." I looked at my reflection in his very shiny sunglasses. He stood up and led me over to a pair of big red chairs. He sat down in one, and I sat in the other across from him. He pulled a small metal flask from his trench coat pocket and began fiddling with it. "In truth.no one can be told what the Matrix is Nashi. The matrix is everywhere. You can see it when you go to school, when you take a shower, and when you play with your friends. You can feel it when you turn on your computer, or your TV. It is the world that has been created around you to blind you from the fact that we are not what we think we are. The Matrix is something that you have to see for yourself. Now.I'm going to need you to do something before we get started ok?" He opened the flask and two small pills fell into his hand. "Now, I know you have probably already made your decision, but I'm going to ask you again, just to make sure. If you take this blue pill, that ends everything, and you go back home.you take this red pill, and the story's ending will be much different." Without any hesitation, I picked up the red pill from his hand. That's when I realized something. I held the pill in my hand for a moment, then looked at Morpheous.  
  
"I'm sorry.but I have trouble taking pills." I felt stupid, not being able to swallow a pill.  
  
He smiled. "Don't worry, there's a glass of water there on the table. Drink some, then pop the pill in your mouth, then drink some more. You'll swallow it easy that way" I did as he told me, and the pill went down surprisingly well. He stood up, took my hand, and led me into the room that Shadow had gone into.  
  
The room was well lit compared to the other room. There were machines all over the place, and people operating them. "Take a seat in that chair Nashi." Morpheous said, pointing to a little brown chair. Shadow came over and sat me down. I looked at him as Trinity came and put some electrodes on my hands and head.  
  
"You did this too?" I asked Shadow. He nodded, sitting down next to me.  
  
"Remember that dreamy feeling you sometimes get Nashi?" Morpheous asked. I nodded. "Well, what about that feeling of being in a dream you almost knew for sure was real." I nodded again, and noticed a large mirror next to me. There were cracks that splintered all over it. "What if I told you that you where dreaming now.and that we're about to wake you up." I became afraid again, and looked over to the mirror. The glass seamed to ripple. I felt the overwhelming urge to touch the glass, to see if I was dreaming or not. Suddenly, the cracks began to disappear. I quickly pulled my hand away, afraid of what would happen next. Shadow leaned over and whispered in my ear.  
  
"It's ok.touch the glass Nashi." His voice was so reassuring.so I leaned over and my fingertips brushed the cold glass.  
  
"Have you got a signal yet?" Morpheous asked one of the people at the machines. The guy answered. "Not yet.pretty close though".  
  
As I touched the mirror, I noticed that it was soft, so I pushed lightly into it. My fingers became covered with what seemed to be the mirror itself, only in liquid form. My eyes widened as the liquid mirror slowly began to cover my hand. I looked over at Shadow, horror stricken.  
  
"It's ok.It'll be all over soon." He said, but his words didn't reach me. I began to scream. But I heard nothing. The sound of water sloshing and an electronic hum where all I heard as the liquid mirror began to creep its way up my neck and down my sides. I felt like I was drowning when.  
  
I woke up. 


End file.
